The subject matter of the present disclosure broadly relates to the art of gas spring devices and, more particularly, to an end member including a progressively-varied crimp area as well as a gas spring assembly including such an end member. A suspension system can include one or more of such gas spring assemblies.
The subject matter of the present disclosure may find particular application and use in conjunction with components for wheeled vehicles, and will be shown and described herein with reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the subject matter of the present disclosure is also amenable to use in other applications and environments, and that the specific uses shown and described herein are merely exemplary. For example, the subject matter of the present disclosure could be used in connection with gas spring assemblies of non-wheeled vehicles, support structures, height adjusting systems and actuators associated with industrial machinery, components thereof and/or other such equipment. Accordingly, the subject matter of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to use associated with gas spring suspension systems of wheeled vehicles.
Wheeled motor vehicles of most types and kinds include a sprung mass, such as a body or chassis, for example, and an unsprung mass, such as two or more axles or other wheel-engaging members, for example, with a suspension system disposed therebetween. Typically, a suspension system will include a plurality of spring devices as well as a plurality of damping devices that together permit the sprung and unsprung masses of the vehicle to move in a somewhat controlled manner relative to one another. Movement of the sprung and unsprung masses toward one another is normally referred to in the art as jounce motion while movement of the sprung and unsprung masses away from one another is commonly referred to in the art as rebound motion.
In some cases, the spring devices can take the form of gas spring assemblies that utilize pressurized gas as the working medium. Gas spring assemblies of various types, kinds and constructions are well known and commonly used. Typical gas spring assemblies can include a flexible wall that is secured between comparatively rigid end members. A wide variety of arrangements for securing the flexible wall on or along an end member have been developed, and it is recognized that different securing arrangements have different advantages, such as low cost, improved sealing or reliability, high strength and/or a capability of disassembly and/or repair, for example. Thus, different securing arrangements may be employed in different applications depending upon the particular conditions under which the gas spring assembly is intended for use, such as applications during which elevated internal gas pressures, over-extension conditions and/or exposure to low temperatures may be experienced. In many cases, a different securing arrangement may be selected and used on each of the two different end members of a gas spring assembly.
Notwithstanding to overall success of known securing arrangements, it is believed desirable to develop end members for gas spring assemblies that are capable of providing improved retention and/or securement of the flexible wall and overcoming disadvantages of known constructions while promoting relatively low costs of manufacture, ease of assembly and/or otherwise advancing the art of gas spring devices.